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Category Archives: History

September 20, 2022
by dave
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Wolves: Just how dog-like are they?

About 10 years ago, I visited one of the most unique sanctuaries in North America. I was reporting for my book, Citizen Canine–specifically a chapter about how the wolf became the dog. Experts agree that gray wolves gave rise to today’s dogs, … Continue reading →

Categories: Cognition, History | Permalink

January 27, 2022
by dave
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Like your Yorkie? Thank a tiny genetic change that nearly vanished in ancient wolves

Dogs vary more in size than any other mammal on earth, from teacup-sized Chihuahuas to towering Great Danes. Most of this extreme variation has arisen over the past two centuries with the rise of modern dog breeding.  But Victorian dog … Continue reading →

Categories: History | Permalink

October 22, 2021
by dave
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Where did dogs come from? Japanese wolf provides clues

Where and when did dogs arise? It’s one of the greatest mysteries of domestication, and one that remains unresolved despite decades of study. Scientists know that all modern dogs descend from a population of gray wolves. But exactly who these … Continue reading →

Categories: History | Permalink

June 23, 2021
by dave
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Can the mysterious Chinese wildcat tell us anything about cat domestication?

Unlike the ongoing mystery of where and when dogs arose, the history of cats is a less convoluted affair. Most scholars agree–based on both archaeological and genetic evidence–that domestic cats likely arose in the Middle East some 10,000 years ago. … Continue reading →

Categories: History | Permalink

March 1, 2021
by dave
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People have been lovingly burying their pets for nearly 2,000 years

Ancient pet cemeteries are rare. Archaeologists do find dog and cat burials, sometimes dating back 10,000 years or more. But these creatures are typically interred alone, or with people, in one-offs–not in a dedicated burial ground. Researchers have also unearthed dozens of cat … Continue reading →

Categories: History | Permalink

January 26, 2021
by dave
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Dog domestication gets a new time and place

Given our deep and enduring relationship with dogs, it’s remarkable that scientists still don’t know where our canine pals came from, or when they arose. Researchers have speculated that dogs evolved everywhere from Southeast Asia to the Middle East, and … Continue reading →

Categories: History | Permalink

November 9, 2020
by dave
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What gravestones tell us about our changing relationship with cats and dogs

In 1885, an elderly Scottish woman decided to bury her cat, Tom, in a nearby cemetery. Though the decision might not seem controversial to us, it caused a riot in Edinburg. The woman, hoping for a “decent burial” for Tom, … Continue reading →

Categories: History | Permalink

April 24, 2020
by dave
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What can ancient poop tell us about our relationship with dogs?

I always enjoy writing about cats and dogs, but I had an especially good time covering this story on ancient dog poop for Science last week. Here’s the gist: A team of molecular archaeologists (cool job!) had spent six years collecting ancient … Continue reading →

Categories: History | Permalink

April 8, 2020
by dave
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Could cats have stopped the Great Plague?

As we all deal with the new coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, I’ve been reminded of another plague: The Black Death, the most devastating pandemic the world has ever seen. By some estimates, as much as half of Europe’s population perished, and more … Continue reading →

Categories: History | Permalink

June 18, 2019
by dave
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Two new studies shed light on our early relationship with dogs

Much of dog domestication is still shrouded in mystery. We don’t know where dogs first evolved, for example, or even when this happened. So we’ve filled these blank pages with a lot of speculation. Early dogs must have been working … Continue reading →

Categories: History | Permalink

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